


Paper and Scissors

by seleneheart



Category: due South
Genre: Blanket Permission, Fluff, M/M, Post-Call of the Wild, Post-Canon, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22245934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seleneheart/pseuds/seleneheart
Summary: Ray tries to capture the beauty he found on their quest. Fraser watches him.
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Paper and Scissors

Ben watches Ray, curious as to what his partner - no _lover_ is doing. He forgets what he was wondering for a moment to bask in the warmth of their new status. They are in temporary quarters at his new posting, and Ray had asked the dispatch clerk for paper and scissors. She had acceded to his request easily enough, charmed by the twinkle in his blue eyes. Fraser examines his feelings about her clear attraction to his lover, but finds no jealousy, merely pride and satisfaction that Ray is his.

Pulling his attention back to Ray and away from his unaccountable woolgathering, Fraser cannot decipher what his partner is doing. The initial cut seems to be the classic opening of origami, getting the paper into a square, but of course plain printer paper is not appropriate for true origami. And Ray isn’t making any of the usual opening folds one would do for any of the origami Ben has mastered. And scissors. One does not need scissors for origami.

Ray’s long fingers manipulate both paper and scissors with his usual accustomed grace, and Ben swallows at the memory of other delicate tasks in which Ray excels. His mind drifts to the previous night . . .

Ben drags his attention back to Ray. He doesn’t watch him openly, although he’s allowed . . . now. He’s allowed everything he had always wanted. With Ray, he can give all the adoration and care and protectiveness in his heart. And touch! He’s allowed to touch, freely, without fear of revealing his heart.

But intense curiosity overrides any need to distract Ray from his task. Ben watches him from the side his eyes, as though he were a beast Ben were stalking. He ponders Ray’s action, while the soft sounds of the scissors snipping through the paper and Ray’s hands scraping over the paper as he manipulates his creation.

Ray finishes one and picks up another piece of paper. Ben feels his scalp tingling and a warm sensation growing in his chest. He would call it arousal, but it doesn’t have the same urgency. He basks in the enjoyment of Ray’s peaceful company.

After some unknown time where Ben had floated on the feelings of Ray’s quiet work, Ray puts the scissors down, shaking his hand out.

“Hand’s sore,” he says by way of explanation.

Ben comes out of his daze and focuses on the pile of cut up paper in front of Ray, while Ray busies himself with sweeping up all the tiny scraps left over from the scissors. He give Fraser a sheepish smile.

“What are those?” Ben asks.

Ray scratches his head, which Ben catalogs as one of Ray’s many stalling tactics. He composes his face in a manner which he hopes is both welcoming and non-judgmental. He waits.

“Uh, well you know,” Ray starts, but he picks up one of the papers and unfolds it, showing an intricately cut paper snowflake with six perfect arms.

“That’s beautiful,” Ben breathes.

With a blush, Ray shrugs, picking up another one and unfolding it. “We saw so much snow. Out there. So many shapes. I’m not an artist. I just . . . wanted to show it. How it made me feel. How beautiful it was.”

He opens another one, and another, each more intricate than the last.

“Where did you learn that?” Ben asks.

“Ma. When we had snow days, not that often in Chi-town, lemme tell ya. But when they hit, she had to keep us busy. So we made snowflakes.”

“Can we hang them up?”

“Really? Yeah, okay. Sure. Where?”

Ben glances around the quarters, not luxury accommodations by any means, but much larger than his former office in Chicago.

“On the window,” he decides. “It’s simple enough to tape them to the glass.”

“Can’t believe you like them that much,” Ray laughs, but Ben can tell he’s pleased.

And this too, he’s allowed now - to support and encourage Ray in his every endeavor. And not even Ray himself can gainsay him.

Ben takes the snowflakes as Ray hands them to him, arranging them in a pleasing configuration on the window. The weak autumn light shines through, leaving lacy silhouettes on the floor.

Turning around, Ben finds Ray staring at him, a warm look in his eyes. Ben takes his hand and tugs Ray towards their couch where he wraps his lover in his arms. They watch the shadows move across the window together.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to try your hand at paper snowflakes without the mess, try here: [Paper Snowflake Maker](http://rectangleworld.com/PaperSnowflake/)


End file.
